Submarine boat.



PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

C. B. GILLETTE.

SUBMARINE BOAT.

APPLIOATIQN FILED AUG. e, 1901. RBNEWED Nov. 24, 1992.

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@noem/ro@ atto/Meg :IIIIIIIIIIlF-r 'PATENTED JAN. 13

f No. 718,450.

C. B.v GILLETTE. SUBMARINE BO'I.-

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. e, 1901. BENVEWBD Nov. 24, l1902.

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UNITED STATESV PATENT CEEICE.

CLARENCE B. GILLETTE, OF VINSTED, CONNECTICUT.

SUBVIARINE BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 718,450, dated January 13, 1903.

Application tiled August 6,1901. Renewed November 24, 1902. Serial No. 132,578. (No model.)

useful Improvements in Submarine Boats, ofV

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means-for controlling the submergenceofasubmarine boat. The object isrto provide a simple means by which a submarine boat may be submerged to and raised from the desired depth on a' horizontal keel when running forward or backe ward, also reversed and raised or lowered on a horizontal keel below the surface. The boat that is illustrated as embodying the invention has an engine for surface cruising, an electric motor for submarine cruising, a balance-tank,withl means for increasing and decreasing the quantity of water in the tank, and thereby regulating the reserve buoyancy, and vertically rotative wings on the sides near the middle of the boat, with means for moving the wings into the planes necessary to give the boat the required diagonal movement for carrying it below and holding it bclow or allowing it to rise to the surface.

Figure l of the views is a vertical longitudinal section of the boat, only so much of the mechanism being shown as is necessary to illustrate the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a View, on larger scale, of the mechanism for moving the submerging-wings; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the plane indicated by the broken line m oc of Fig. 1. The motor l, which is used for propelling the boat on the surface, may be a naphtha or oil burning engine, preferably `the latter. The motor 2, which is used for propelling the boat under Water, may be any ordinary type of compressed-air or electric motor, preferably the latter, driven by current from suitable storage batteries. Both motors are connected by the usual clutches with lthe shaft 3, to which a screw 4 is secured at the stern of the boat. l

The compartment 5 below the deck 6 is utilized for water ballast. The cylinder 7 is open to the outside of the boat and has a piston 8, that is adapted to be operated by a piston 9 in a com pressed-air cylinder 10 for drawing Water into and forcing water out of the cylinder 7, so as to decrease or increase the reserve buoyancy of the boat.

A shaft 11, held by suitable bearings, eX- tends transversely through the sides, near the middle, from end t'o end and also from top to bottom of the cigar-shaped shell of the boat. A Wing 12 is attached to each end of this horizontal'shaft outside of the shell. These wings are capable of oscillating with the shaft about one hundred and eighty degrees-that is,

from horizontally forward over to horizontally backward, as indicated by the dotted outlines in Fig. 3.'

On the shaft 1l, nearthe middle ofthe shell, is a pinion 13, meshing with which is a gear 14, that'is engaged by a rack 15. This rack is connected with and adapted to be reciprocated by a rod 16. On this rod in the cylinder 17 is a piston 18, and in the cylinder 19 is a piston 20.

The chambers 21 and 22, on opposite sides of the piston in the cylinder 19, are connected by a pipe 23, in which is a stop-cock 24. These chambers and this pipe are lled with water or other incompressible liquid, which holds the piston when the cock is closed.

The chamber 25, on one side of the piston in the cylinder 17, is connected with a fourway cock 26 by a pipe 27, and the chamber 28, on the other side of the piston, is connected with the four-way cock by a pipe 29. This cock is connected with a compressed-air reservoir 30 by a pipe 31.

When the cock 26 is turned so as to connect the pipes 31 and 27 and allow the air-pressure to be exerted in the chamber 25 against the piston 18, the pipe 29 is opened to the atmosphere and there is no pressure in the chamber 28. When the cock is turned oppositely, the pipe 3l is connected with the pipe 29, so that air-pressure is exerted in the chamber 28 against the piston 18, andthe pipe 27-is opened to the atmosphere and` there is no pressure in the chamber 25. Y

When the cock 24 in the pipe 23, that connects the chambers 21 and 22 of the cylinder 19,is closed, the piston 20 is held against movement by the incompressible liquid, so that air-pressure exerted upon either side of the IOO piston 1S is ineffective; but when the cock 24C is opened, allowing liquid to ilow from one side to the other of the piston 20, then movement will be given to the rod 1G by the piston 1S, according to the side that the air-pressure is applied. Thus by turning the handle of the air-cock one way and opening the checkcock the rack which is connected with the piston-rod will be moved in one direction. By turning the aircock handle theother way, the check-cock remaining open, the rack will be moved in a reverse direction. The speed of movement of the rack is determined by the size of the opening through the check-cock. After the rack has been moved it is locked in position by closing the check-cock. The reciprooation of the rack through the gear and pinion turns the wings from horizontal to any desired delectingangle The engine is ordinarily used for propelling the boat when cruising on the surface, and in this condition the conning-tower and platform-deck are just above Water. lVhen it is desired to cruise below the surface, all openings are closed and after enough water is taken in to reduce the reserve buoyancy to a minimum the submerging-wings are set at the required inclination. As the boat is now driven by the motor the action of the inclined wings in the water is such as to overcome the reserve buoyancy and tend to guide the boat diagonallydownward. lf the boat is moving ahead, the wings are inclined toward the stern when going down or moving below the surface, and if the boat is moving astern the Wings are inclined toward the bow. The inclination of the wings is such that at the speed the boat is traveling their action will overcome the reserve buoyancy. If the boat is moving slowly, the wings to keep it down must have considerable inclination, the inclination being less as the speed increases. lf it is desired to sink deeper, the wings are given more of an inclination, and if it is desired to rise the wings are moved so as to be almost if not quite horizontal.

The inclination of the wings may be changed, and the wings may be turned from forward to backward while below the surface, so that the boat may be run forward or backward at the desired depth under Water withoutturning,the reversing being accomplished Witout coming to the surface.

A boat provided with wings hung on horizontal pivots on opposite sides at the middle of the shell will be drawn down diagonally with its keel level. It will not plunge or dive when going down, nor will it tilt when rising.

I claim as my inventionl. A submarine boat having suitable propeiling means, means for regulating the reserve buoyancy, wings on opposite sides connected at their forward ends to a horizontal shaft that extends transversely near the middle of the boat, and pneumatic mechanisms for rotating the shaft and giving the wings a vertically-rotative movement to such positions that they will, as the boat moves, counteract the reserve buoyancy, substantially as specified.

2. A submarine boat having suitable propelling means, means for regulating the reserve buoyancy7 wings on opposite sides connected at their forward ends to a horizontal shaft that extends transversely near the middle of the boat, from end to end and from top to bottom, pneumatic mechanisms for rotating the shaft and giving the wings a vertically-rotative movement to such positions that they will, as the boat moves, counteract the reserve buoyancy, and hydraulic mech anisms for holding the wings in the positions to which they have been moved, substantially as specified.

3. A submarine boat having suitable propelling means, means for regulating the reserve buoyancy, wings on opposite sides connected at their forward ends to a horizontal shaft that extends transversely near the middle of the boat, gears for rotating the shaft and giving the wings a vertically-rotative movement to such positions that they will, as the boat moves, counteract the reserve buoyancy, cylinders and pistons for controlling the movement of the gears, and a connection between the cylinders and a reservoir of power, substantially as specified.

CLARENCE B. GILLETTE.

lVitnesses:

Gris E. GILLnfr'rn, GEORGE M. CARRINGTON. 

